Certain as the Sun
by BelloftheSea
Summary: Belle did not keep the magic mirror when she went to find her father. When D’arque came for her father, she had no choice but to agree to marry Gaston. But there are some things that a simply meant to be. Belle and the Beast must now struggle past time an
1. Chapter 1

**Certain as the Sun**

_Belle did not keep the magic mirror when she went to find her father. When D'arque came for her father, she had no choice but to agree to marry Gaston. But there are some things that a simply meant to be. Belle and the Beast must now struggle past time and memory to find that true love really is as certain as the sun._

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**Disclaimer:** Belle and the Beast and all their friends are the property of Disney. I do not own them but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating: **This story is rated K+

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Chapter 1

Belle looked around for a kind face in the mob of people. She was frantic, unsure, and it seemed that no one was going to help her. A voice sounded behind her.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor Belle. It's a shame about your father."

It was Gaston, the last person she wanted to go to for help. But he did have some influence in the town. If anyone could help her father, surely he could. But would he?

"You know he's not crazy, Gaston." She pleaded with him, hoping, praying that he would do something.

"I might be able to clear up this little misunderstanding, if..." Belle stepped back. There was way too much emphasis on that "if." And if Gaston really was the arrogant, chauvinistic, pig she thought him to be, that "if" wasn't something she wanted to hear. But she had to ask. She had to help her father.

"If what?" She waited, dreading the answer to her question.

"If you marry me." Of course.

"What?"

"One little word, Belle. That's all it takes."

"Never!" She spat the word. Just the thought of marry him made her sick to her stomach.

"Have it your way." Gaston turned his back on her and began to walk away.

Belle considered her options. Her father was being taken from her, to be thrown into the asylum and locked up where she'd never see him again. She had thought she lost him once when the beast had sent him away. But he let her go back to him and she wasn't about to lose him again. She knew he wasn't crazy but had no way of proving it. _'If only I had kept that mirror…'_

"Belle?" Maurice called to her as the mob threw him into the wagon. "Let go of me!"

In that moment, Belle knew what she had to do. She had to give up the new life she'd so suddenly found, her new friends, her new family. She had to save her father.

Her resolve set, she turned and called out to Gaston.

"Wait!"

Gaston stopped, and turned slowly to face her. A small grin highlighted his square face. He was mocking her, daring her to turn him down. She wanted to. More then anything she wanted to get on Philippe and ride back to the castle, back to the Beast. There she'd be safe, but she wouldn't be happy, not without her father.

"A- alright" She said firmly.

"Alright what?" Belle cringed at his mocking tone.

"I- I'll marry you. But you have to promise that my father will be released and that no one will ever try to take him away again."

Gaston leered over her. "Promise it." It was an order.

Belle hung her head. "Y- You have my word." For the second time in only a few short months, those words sealed her fate.

"Done!" Gaston stomped off with a flourish and a smile. After a few short words between him and D'arque, Maurice was released from the carriage and back in Belle's arms.

"Oh, Papa!" She hugged him gratefully.

"Belle, how did you…?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter Papa. They won't hurt us now." She looked up as Gaston returned, still smiling.

"Come Belle. We must get ready for our wedding." Other girls in town would have fainted at these words. Belle only felt sick.

"Wedding?" Maurice asked, looking between his daughter and the man before them.

"Of course! Belle has agreed to be my wife." He said this as though Maurice hadn't just nearly been thrown into the asylum, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Belle? Is that true?" Belle could only nod.

Gaston seemed to be tired of waiting because he suddenly grabbed her arm and forced her to stand. "Come on, my little cupcake. The priest is waiting." he started to walk off with her in tow, but his word made her stop.

"Wait! Tonight? We can't possibly get married tonight!" She may have promised to marry him but getting married right at this moment was out of the question.

"And why can't we?" He ground his teeth on the word "why."

"It's too soon. I just got home. I've barely had time to wash my face. I'm certainly not ready for a wedding!"

Gaston considered this for a moment. She was going to be his forever. What's another night going to hurt? He shrugged and released her arm. "Alright then, we'll be married first thing in the morning…"

"A week." Belle insisted, thinking fast.

"A week! Why on earth would you need a week?" He was getting angry. She'd have to play her cards right to get him to do this.

"To get ready." she stated plainly. "I'm only going to be married once and so I want it to be perfect. I'll need a dress, and there'll have to be cake, and the whole town will have to be there…" she paused, and then looked directly at him with the best smile she could muster under the circumstances. "Don't you want a perfect wedding Gaston?"

That did it. Gaston couldn't possibly pass up the chance to flaunt his victory before the whole town. After another moment of consideration, he relented. "A week then. And not a day more." Belle sighed with relief. "But don't you even think about running off. You gave your word, remember?"

Belle nodded solemnly. "I remember."


	2. Chapter 2

**Certain as the Sun**

_Belle did not keep the magic mirror when she went to find her father. When D'arque came for her father, she had no choice but to agree to marry Gaston. But there are some things that a simply meant to be. Belle and the Beast must now struggle past time and memory to find that true love really is as certain as the sun._

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**Disclaimer:** Belle and the Beast and all their friends are the property of Disney. I do not own them but am grateful for the opportunity to use them in the unleashing of my own imagination.

**Rating: **This story is rated K+

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**Chapter 2**

Belle slung the last of the bags into the wagon. She'd been up for three hours packing, but not for herself. It was her father's things that filled the bags: his clothes, his tools, anything he might need or want. She'd chosen a few of his things to keep for herself, to remember him by. She didn't plan on seeing him again after tonight.

"Belle? Belle, what's going on?" Maurice stumbled out of their cottage, still half asleep.

She looked over at him from where she was hitching Philippe to the wagon. "We're leaving, Papa."

"What? Where are we going?"

"To the castle."

"Back to that beast! No Belle! I don't want you anywhere near that monster."

"He's not a monster, Papa. The only monster around here is the one I'm going to marry." Belle turned away, not willing to let her father see the tears in her eyes.

"But Belle, you promised Gaston you wouldn't run away." Maurice placed his hand on her arm. He didn't understand everything that was going on, but he knew that his daughter was grieving and he had to help her in any way he could.

Belle regained her composure and turned to face her father. "I'm not running away, Papa. I'm coming back. But… I want you to stay there."

"No! I'm not leaving you here. And I certainly don't want to stay in that castle."

"You have to! Papa, as long as you're here Gaston can use you to get to me."

"You're already going to marry him. What more can he want?"

"I don't… I don't know." Belle fell to her knees. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore and they flowed freely. It was too much. Just when she thought her life was going to start getting better, everything she ever loved was being taken from her. The only thing she could think to do was get her father, and everyone else she cared for, out of harms way.

Maurice fell down beside her and wrapped her in his arms. "Oh, Belle… my daughter." She'd always been so brave. Even when his wife had died, she had been the one to stay strong. She'd cared for him while he'd been to sick with grief to care for himself. He used to think she'd be able to handle anything. But now it seemed she'd finally broken.

"Belle?" a small voice called from beside them. It was Chip. The little teacup had kept quiet all night, knowing that something was wrong but not knowing what to do about it. Now Belle was crying. He hadn't seen her cry since the night she first came to the castle. That she was doing so now said that whatever had happened was really bad. "Belle? Are you alright?"

Belle whipped her eyes and look down at Chip. She picked him up, attempting to smile. "Oh Chip. I'll be fine. But…" She stood, taking a deep breath and helping her father to stand as well. "But it's time we got you home isn't it. Poor Mrs. Potts must be worried sick about you."

"But I don't want to go home. I want to stay here with you."

"I know, Chip. And I'd love it if you could stay. But, things are going to start changing around here soon. It'll be dangerous and I don't want you or Papa to be where you could get hurt."

The little teacup considered this for a moment, his young mind working through the details of what Belle had said. Then he looked up and asked, "But, what if you get hurt Belle?"

The girl shook her head. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've got… I've got Gaston to look after me." She hated the sound of his name on her lips, but she had to convince Chip that everything was going to be alright. Still, the young cup didn't seem convinced so she changed tactics.

Standing up, Belle carried Chip a little ways a way from her father. Then she whispered, "Chip, there's something very important I need you to do for me."

"What's that?" he asked, suddenly excited.

"I need you to look after Papa. Make sure he's doing alright at the castle. But you need to keep it a secret, okay. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh-huh! I can do that, Belle!"

Belle smiled, glad that her plan had worked. "Now, let's get in the wagon, and start for home."

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The west wing was silent but for the gentle breathing of the Beast as he stared down at the now empty stem of the once enchanted rose. His servants had long since left him to morn in solitude. And he had much to morn. For too long, he'd been trapped in the form of a beast. He found that he could scarcely recall what his true face looked like, without gazing upon the portrait of himself that he had torn so long ago. A few short months ago, he would have never dreamed for any hope of returning to that form. Then she had come.

Belle.

Beautiful, innocent, kind, gentle: Everything he could have ever dreamed of. And suddenly, there was hope. It was so small at first, like single candle in a darkened room. But slowly it began to grow. And that hope grew so much that it became something more, something that burned inside him and made him want to do anything for her, if only to see her smile.

Love.

He knew that now. He'd realized it the instant he'd set her free. He loved her.

It wasn't long after that, when the last petal fell from the enchanted rose. It marked the end of hope, for all of them. The beast would never again be the prince he once was. His servants would remain as household items forever.

And Belle was gone. That was what hurt the most. Had she been there, perhaps the spell would have been broken. But even if it wasn't, it would have been enough for him to have her there, to love her even if she did not love him in return.

"Beast?"

He spun around quickly at the sound of her voice, certain that he had imagined it. But no, there she was standing in the doorway to his room, hesitant to enter. A traveler's cloak hung about her shoulders and her hair was pulled back in its usual arrangement although a few strands had come loose and now hung in front of her face. She lifted a hand to mindlessly tuck them behind her ear as she waited for his response.

"Belle…" he said quietly, still not quite believing that she was there. He took a few steps toward her. "You… came back?" She smiled gently at his question and that smile was all it took for him to close the gap between them and hesitantly take both of her hands in his.

After being deigned any sort of human contact for so long, it had taken him awhile to get used to her gentle touches. It still amazed him that she was not disgusted by his course fur and dangerous claws. However, he soon came to enjoy and even crave the feeling of her hands in his, the brush of her arm as they passed, the warmth of her body as they leaned close together to gaze at a picture in one of her books. And yet he was still hesitant to be the one to make the contact, certain that she would pull away in disgust.

But she didn't. She merely clasped his paws tightly and smiled a little wider, though it was a strange smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course I came back. You're my friend."

The Beast frowned a little. "But your father…"

"… He's here with me. I hope you don't mind…"

"No. I'm just glad you're here." This time the smile almost reached her eyes… almost. "Are you… here to stay?" Beast asked, hoping praying that her answer would be 'yes.'

But she frowned and stepped back, pulling her hands away and turning so that her back was toward him. "No, I'm afraid I can't."

At the sound of those words, the Beast felt his heart break once more. And as the realization settled over him, heartache turned quickly to anger: anger at himself for daring to hope, anger at her for giving him a reason to. With a growl he turned from her and stalked toward the table were the rose's stem still lay, dry and twisted. "Then why did you even come back?"

"I'm sorry." She said with a sigh. "Please believe me. I wish I could. More than anything I wish I could stay here with you." She paused a moment and then added, "And Mrs. Potts and Lumiere and Cogsworth and all the others. But I just can't"

"Why not? If you want to stay then you should. You know that you're welcome here. The castle is your home." He made it seem so simple.

Belle shook her head. "It's complicated. So much has happened in the past two days. So much has changed. You see…" she stopped, unsure as to how to go on. "Oh, maybe you're right. I shouldn't have come." She turned to leave, hoping he hadn't seen the tears that were starting to spill from her eyes. This was turning out to be a lot harder then she thought it would be.

She was stopped by a fur covered paw grasping her hand gently and pulling back. There was no way for her to hide her tears as he turned her back to face him.

When he saw her crying, the Beast realized that something was wrong, very wrong. Belle was strong, she didn't cry over petty things. The few times he had seen her cry she'd had good reason to do so. But what could it be now?

He lifted his paw slowly to wipe away the water that coursed down her cheek. He was surprised when she leaned into the touch and even lifted her own hands to cover his paw, holding it there as she continued to cry silently.

"Belle… what is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm getting married." The words came out so quickly and so quietly that he almost missed them. It took a moment for what she said to sink in and when it finally did he was sure he must've heard wrong.

"What?" He stepped back, just a bit so he could look into her eyes, certain that she would deny what he thought he'd just heard.

Belle clung to his paw more tightly and shook her head as tears continued their course down her cheeks. "I don't want too. I was left with no choice."

Now the beast stepped back several paces, pulling his paw from her grasp. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She'd come back only to tell him… "You're getting married?" he whispered coarsely.

She nodded slowly.

How could this be? The Beast tried to wrap his mind around what she was telling him but it seemed so impossible he was half tempted to believe it was some sort of trick. She'd never mentioned anyone to him. Why would she so suddenly be engaged? But Belle had never been one to play games like this. She had to be telling the truth. "Who…?"

"His name is Gaston. He's a hunter from the village. Everyone loves him there. They treat him like a hero and what he says goes. Whatever he wants, he gets. And right now… what he wants is me."

The Beast turned from her, his already short temper threatening to break. That was it then… she'd go away for ever and marry the town hero. She'd never have to work again. She'd have everything that she wanted, everything he could never give her as a beast in a castle. She'd be happy.

But then… why was she so sad. Glancing back, he saw her wipe furiously at her tears and her words from earlier finally clicked in his mind.

"You don't want to marry him." He said hesitantly.

Belle shook her head. "No, I don't. He's a horrible, awful monster. I want nothing to do with him."

He could hardly believe she was standing there before him, a beast, and calling a normal human a monster. But he pushed the thought aside. "Then why are you?"

"He was going to have my father thrown in the asylum. Gaston has a lot of influence in the town. He can make things happen. The only way he would stop it was if I agreed to marry him. He left me no other choice."

Of course. Belle would do anything for her father. If she would willingly make he self a prisoner to a beast in his place then she would surely agree to marry a man she hated in order to save him. But there had to be another way.

"There is a choice." He once again returned to stand before her hoping she'd agree to his plan. "You'll stay here. You and your father and you'll never have to worry about that man again."

It seemed like such an obvious course of action to him that he was baffled as she slowly shook her head. "I have to go back." She told him.

"What? Why?" The Beast was becoming frustrated by all this. Why were women so complicated?

"I promised. I gave him my word that I would marry him. I have to go back."

The Beast growled. "You broke your word to me!"

"I was wrong to have run away that time. I was frightened." She replied but he didn't seem to hear her.

"But then I suppose it's alright to break your word to me since I am only a beast!"

"It's not like that and you know it!"

They stood starring at each other in silence for several moments, both angry, both hurt, both sad. And then she was in his arms, sobbing against his chest, knowing that her time with his was short and wishing they could spend it in some way other than arguing.

The Beast, for his part, was stunned when she so suddenly threw herself against him, weeping so bitterly that he felt his heart would shatter at the sight. Gently, he placed his arms around his and then slowly rested his head on top of hers. This was where he wanted her to be for all time; where he knew she could never be. Even if she were to stay, she would never be his. He was a beast, and as much as he loved her, he knew that his affections would never be returned.

But even though he knew they could never be more then friends, he wanted to do everything within his power to make her happy.

"Stay." He whispered after several minutes, silently pleading her to say she would.

"I can't. Even if I hadn't given my word, Gaston would not rest until he found me. He's an expert hunter. He would track me down eventually."

"I would protect you."

At this she leaned to look at him. Her tears had dried but her eyes and cheeks were still red from crying. All the same, the Beast couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was.

"I can't ask that of you." She said.

"You don't have to ask. I would- "

She stopped him. "I know. But I can't risk putting you or anyone else I care about in danger." Steeping away from him she began to pace around the room absently. "That's actually the reason I came back. I have a favor to ask of you, though perhaps it's too much. You've done so much for me already."

"I would do anything for you, Belle." And he meant it. Whatever she ask, he would do.

His words brought a sad smile to her face. "I know." She walked about some more, stopping in front of the torn portrait. Raising a hand, she lifted the torn canvas gently so that she could see the face of a boy she had never met. Yet, there was something about his eyes that was so familiar.

"Belle?" The beast came up behind her, turning her away from the painting to face him. "The favor." He reminded her.

Belle looked at the floor, embarrassed that she'd become so distracted by a painting. "Yes, of course. What I want, well…I have to go back. But I would like, if you'd allow, my father to stay here in the castle. I promise he wouldn't be any burden. He can pretty much take care of himself. And the servants all seem to like him well enough. He would stay out of your way. It would almost be like he wasn't even here."

"Of course he can stay. But Belle… why?"

"Because… I'm afraid." She replied softly. "I'm afraid of what Gaston might do the next time he want's something of me. I don't want Papa anywhere where Gaston can use him to get to me.

The Beast sighed. He'd run out of things to say. She'd clearly thought this all through. For every plan he came up with, she seemed to have a reason why it wouldn't work. Her honor wouldn't allow her to go back on her word. Her love wouldn't allow her to put those she cared about in danger.

How is it that such a wonderful woman had come into his life only to be taken away from him? It seemed that he was cursed, not only to be a beast but to always be alone.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Belle had left his side once more.

"Beast?" she called out to him and he turned to see her staring at the stem of the once enchanted rose much as he had been doing earlier. Her brow was crease with confusion as she did not know what the rose had been. "Your rose…"

He went over to stand beside her. This rose, once a symbol of his curse, now seemed to him a symbol of what he would never have. With its death came the death of any hope he had of knowing what love really felt like.

"What does it mean?" Belle asked.

"It means that some things are never meant to be." He turned from the stem. She followed him still confused but figuring she wouldn't get a better answer then that. "You should go now." He said, looking at her. "Your father will always be safe here. I promise."

Belle's heart ached as he dismissed her. But she'd done what she came to do. Her father would be safe. That's what mattered. "Thank you." She whispered. Then she turned and walked towards the door.

But she never made it there. The beast caught her hand in his own and pulled her back toward him, wrapping his large arms around her slender frame and holding her tightly against his chest. He felt her shake with silent sobs as she also wrapped her arms around him.

Both stood there, praying the moment would never end, wishing they didn't have to say goodbye, knowing that this was their last moment together.

Then, after what seemed like too short of a time to both of them, Belle pulled out of the embrace. She looked up at him for a moment, memorizing his face, and she suddenly realized where she'd seen the eyes in the portrait before. It was him.

But that didn't matter now. None of it mattered.

"Goodbye." She whispered.

The Beast could do nothing more than watch as she fled the room, knowing that she would never return.

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End file.
